Bookkeeper salary in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC
Hiring a bookkeeper costs less in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake than in Virginia or the country as a whole. The median is $48,690 a year1: 5.7% below the Virginia statewide median of $51,620 and 3.9% below the US median of $50,670. Among US areas it comes in at #202 of 521. It is the largest market for the job in Virginia: about 5,880 people.
BLS occupation 43-3031, area Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake against Virginia and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | $36,040 | $48,690 | $65,920 | |
| Virginia | $36,610 | $51,620 | $72,860 | |
| United States | $36,000 | $50,670 | $74,550 |
The middle half of bookkeepers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake earns $41,330–$58,630. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $65,920, only 1.8 times the bottom tenth, against 2.1 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $17,300 wide, against $17,810 across Virginia and $17,950 nationally: employers in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a bookkeeper here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,040 | $3,003 | $17.33 | $46,503 |
| 25th percentile | $41,330 | $3,444 | $19.87 | $53,329 |
| Median | $48,690 | $4,058 | $23.41 | $62,826 |
| 75th percentile | $58,630 | $4,886 | $28.19 | $75,652 |
| 90th percentile | $65,920 | $5,493 | $31.69 | $85,058 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $9,940 a year in pay and about $12,826 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,360 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $50,670 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, and the Virginia statewide median of $51,620 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $14,136 to the $48,690 median and brings it to $62,826 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for bookkeepers we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake
Of the 17 roles we track in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, this one ranks #10 by median pay, between payroll specialists ($53,190) and HR assistants ($47,990). Project Coordinator is the highest at $104,920.
| Role | Median | vs bookkeeper | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative | +15.6% | 5,810 | |
| Payroll Specialist | +9.2% | 660 | |
| Bookkeeper | this role | 5,880 | |
| HR Assistant | -1.4% | 500 | |
| Administrative Assistant | -4.9% | 5,730 |
Measured against the US median, bookkeepers rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake (-3.9%), between administrative assistants (-2.6%) and medical administrative assistants (-4.0%). The typical role here is at -6.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Bookkeepers hold 8.5% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, 7.5% across Virginia and 8.7% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Virginia
Across the 13 areas of Virginia with data for this job, the median runs from $45,270 in the Northeast Virginia nonmetro area to $52,680 in Charlottesville, a gap of $7,410 a year. No other area in Virginia has as many bookkeepers, and 9 of the other 12 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Virginia Beach-Chesapeake | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville, VA | +8.2% | 870 | |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA | +6.0% | 720 | |
| Richmond, VA | +5.6% | 4,890 | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | this area | 5,880 | |
| Winchester, VA-WV | -0.3% | 550 | |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | -0.3% | 400 | |
| Harrisonburg, VA | -3.3% | 500 |
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake is #46 of 521 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Virginia, Jackson and Cedar Rapids pay just above Virginia Beach-Chesapeake and Cheyenne and Grand Rapids-Wyoming just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake. Of the three markets with about as many bookkeepers, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Virginia Beach-Chesapeake | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +6.0% | 5,890 | jobs | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | +5.4% | 6,310 | jobs | |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | +0.0% | 1,120 | pay | |
| Jackson, MI | +0.0% | 500 | pay | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | this area | 5,880 | ||
| Cheyenne, WY | -0.3% | 480 | pay | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | -0.3% | 5,070 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -0.6% | 6,320 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a bookkeeper in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC?
About $62,826 a year at the median, or $5,235 a month: $48,690 in pay plus about $14,136 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do bookkeepers earn in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
The median was $48,690 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,040, the 90th $65,920, and the middle half earned $41,330 to $58,630.
Is Virginia Beach-Chesapeake cheaper than the rest of Virginia for bookkeepers?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $48,690 against $51,620 statewide. The next area up in Virginia is Richmond at $51,400, the next down Winchester at $48,540.
How many bookkeepers work in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
BLS counts about 5,880 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Virginia has as many.
Does a bookkeeper cost more than an HR assistant in Virginia Beach-Chesapeake?
Yes: $700 a year more at the median. The medians are $48,690 and $47,990.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-3031: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.